IMF is latest big name to suffer hacking attack

Cybercrime wave becoming a tsunami

The International Monetary Fund has been targeted by hackers – the latest victim of a high-profile cybercrime wave.

The likes of Sony and Codemasters have suffered from recent data breaches caused by hackers, but it is not just tech and gaming giants that are finding their online properties compromised.

The IMF has hit headlines recently due to its former head Dominique Strauss-Kahn being arrested for sexual assault, but as the search for a new head continues it is not the only problem that the intergovernmental organisation has.

Sensitive

Due to its work overseeing the global financial system, the IMF has massively sensitive information that would represent a real prize to some people.

"We had an incident," IMF spokesman David Hawley told the Wall Street Journal. "We're investigating it and the fund is completely functional."

Although the details of what information (if any) has been compromised have not emerged, it is clear that any important information stored online is likely to become a target for cybercriminals.

Early reports indicate that this was not simply a mischievous attack, but a carefully orchestrated attempt to circumvent the security of the IMF.

The FBI is investigating, after the New York Times broke the story of the breach over the weekend.